Built
in 1862, the Ward Thomas House was the home of two prominent Niles
industrial families. James Ward, who built the house,
was a pioneer in the iron industry in the Mahoning Valley. He
built puddling plants, Falcon Nail and Iron Company and the Russia
mill for manufacturing steel.

The second owners
were John and Margaret Thomas who came to this
country from Wales. The Thomas family founded the Niles Firebrick
Company and later, Mahoning Valley Steel. The Thomas family occupied
the house until 1969 when the property was deeded to the City
of Niles. Through the efforts of Clare Westenfield, a
local attorney, the house became the home of the Niles Historical
Society.

The
house is now a museum consisting of fourteen rooms, many furnished
in the style of the period, some with furniture owned by the Thomas
family and donated to the museum. The museum collection has more
than 5000 items, including many from the two families. Throughout
the museum, mannequins wear life size replicas of the White House
ladies’ gowns displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, D.C..

Also
on the five acre property are a recently restored barn and a 1925
green house as well a various gardens and 56 varieties of trees
in the arboretum. Care of the house and gardens is done by volunteers
and the house is decorated appropriately for each season.

Proceeding from the back porch of
the Ward-Thomas house, a walk-way leads to a secondary building.
This building is used as a workspace for the greenhouse.

The first
Sunday of each month the Thomas House is open to the public.

Additional
guided tours may be arranged by contacting the curator
or calling: 330.544.2143.